Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-01-11
DAILY POsT-IKTEuIGEKCER


foE y 4e4 Known t1at e 80 DS~1 =
ne point Of death for many weeks he
nessr sscosaFed FROM the shock q Is
faIiars n business, whsah followed -
aniekly up0z his disputs wish sserstasy
Whfinsy ooBsernine Ne D0lphin, and
for monfhs BE- has besn gradually sink
inR toward TIE tomb.
Ith cell q Pause na0msnt and gaze
on tie body Of thaf EamAEkahis man ~
fore e Il fstaEnsd 20 the dnst fEom
which Il oams. Il is yell 70 eonsi1ss
shat woudsxfnI caEser before Il sligo b.
hind into tie past and Il lost y rnsmoEy
nnong ne myriad things thai were. Il
is veil 70 luFn again 70 this eiossd leaf
before TIE book Il sIasped forever, and
20 see II d contains no inscription which |
We can designer. Does this life tsaeh |
no Isssonf Does Il leave - nothing bal
. fast fading msmoFY7
John Roach vas b. birth an Irish
man. His education was acquired IN |
ths school Of the world. and experiences
vas bis sohooImastsg. Like bis life, his |
education wss practical -pFaetieal n all |
things and practical 70 the Iass degree
when be had slmost attained middle
zee, be was nothine more than tramp
poos, ragged. miserable. and apparently
without elthsF ambition OF hops.
Twenty years later be vas he head Of
shs American ship building industry.
Be wsa many times 9 millionaire. His
employees numbered thousands. From
ahunared huas ehiuBsys poured the
smoke Of bis furnace Ares. His name
gas insspasably linked With that Of the
VILLAGE IN which be livsd-s city which.
when be had entered Il. vas . quiet aad
nnpsstsnsious village Of fee hundred
Inhabitants and which be made By bis
almost unaidsd sxsFtions buatlinR,
thriving city containing population Of
from twenty 70 thirty thousand and re-
nownsd throughout the land for its en-
tsrpFiss and iss prosperity. Renowned
as q waa, however, II vas no more re-
novned than John Reach, the founder
Il lie prosperity and the employer Of
its thousands Of woEkingmsn.
Not only vas John Roach thus re-
nowned as sne Of the leading manafao-
turers Of the United States. utbecause
30 had built number Of vessels for the
Government be almost became an issue
IN national politics. The speakers and
Journalists Of great political party lost
no opportunity 10 attack and denounee
him, while thoss Of the opposite party
defended him and praised hin to the
people for What be only vas q great,
energetic, ambitious man who was
making q valiant struggle TO sustain an
American industry against the most
formidable competition, and 70 keep
alive among hin oountrymen the art Of
bulldine iron vessels, which, bat for bis
efforts, would, 50 far IS America is con-
csFnsd. have been among the dead arts.
R0aoh's contest with Secretary Whit
ney is almost too recent 10 require re-
counting. The public have not forgot
seq Il, and they will not forget IL. The
aet Of running bis splendid fortune, Of
oleaing hts busy workshops, Of queneh-
ina the furnace fires which had burned
90 long and 90 brightly, Of turning bis
thousands Of employees in idlsness into
the streets. IL among the worst Of the
many bad acts for which The Democratic
Administration must account when It
makes i.s nnAl report TO the people and
asks for their approval.
After his busy. anxious life, however,
John Roach dies almost as pooT as when
he began the ascent Of Fortunes lad
der. By his energy, his perseverance,,
his native shrewdness, his undauRted
pluck, be amsssed fortune and made
name which viii live long after him.
He rose from the very depths Of
poverty. He became one Of the IN
crowned kinRs OF men. and be
took his proper place among those
Who are accounted great and wise. he
afforded employment to many thosands.
and made happy homes where none had
been befers. he was q credit alike to
lhe country Of bis birth and to the
country OF his adoption. In his psr.
sonality the one vas recommended. and
In his success the greatness Of the insti
tutions Of the other was attested.
Standing beside the bier Of such q
man, with the story Of bis long and busy
life fresh in cur memories. and The tall
factory ehlmseys standing In the dis
tanoe a. gAant and sOmhFs monuments
20 his memory, Who dare say that this
e ues the eountFy Of the poor a. well as
Of tbs rich : What one man has 40.
sompllahed another man can accom-.
plish. This man. without fEiends, With
cut assistance, without money. With only
ths qualities Of mind and heart which
God had given him, ssaFtsk brAvely
upen the career Which led 10 fame and
10 fortune. without aEmos, without
weapons other than his ready hands. he
flung himself int the battle Of life.
Who dare sag that only keys Of gold
can unlock the barriers which bound
success when this man struck those bar.
risrs down with bis bare hand ? Who
dare cay that the humhlsst, poorest,
most wrslehed man In this broad land
may net battle for the place above Aim,
and battle feE the place above him, aud
still battle for the place above hiu, until
be has attained the highest pinnacle Of
success Who dars sag thai this is
nation Of classes aad that be who Is
born In poverty must remain in poverty
until be has io1rneyed ts the end Of the
weary road Who dare say that any
man cannot achieve success The siH.
ola story Of The life Of this poos tramp.
who By bis enai ed exeFtious achieved
saecoa and greatness. Is The most can
vinciac refatatipn OF All The Arguments